Can We Have a 'Pandemic' without the Panic?

Making News

Supreme Court's Souter Has Had Enough of DC ()

President Obama's about to get his first change to nominate a candidate for the US Supreme Court as Justice David Souter is said to be planning to step down. David Savage, who covers the Court for the Los Angeles Times, says Souter prefers his home in New Hampshire to "the best job in the worst city.”

Guests:

• David Savage: Reporter, Los Angeles Times, @latimes

Links:

• President Obama's remarks on Justice Souter

Main Topic

Can We Have a 'Pandemic' without the Panic? ()

The World Health Organization says all of humanity is now under threat from a swine flu pandemic, but nobody knows how severe it might turn out to be. Compared to the flu epidemics that occur every year, not that many people have died, and the WHO's warning is designed to keep things from getting worse. Mexico City, near where the outbreak began, is virtually shut down. But experts are warning about the dangers of over-reaction. Today President Obama called a cabinet meeting to talk the H1N1 virus, which officials are calling by its scientific name because it's now transmitted from human to human and not just from pigs. He cautioned against “alarm,” but acknowledged the need to prepare for the long term “since we know that these kinds of threats can emerge at any moment.“ The virus cannot be stopped by shutting down borders, so what can be done?  Are public health systems prepared? If it gets worse, can a vaccine be ready in time?

Guests:

• Chris Hawley: Latin America Correspondent, USA Today
• Laurie Garrett: Senior Fellow, Council on Foreign Relations
• John Barry: Visiting Scholar, Tulane/Xavier Center for Bioenvironmental Research
• Philip Alcabes: Professor of Urban Public Health, City University of New York

Links:

• Hawley's article on Mexico's rush to prepare for 5-day quarantine
• Garrett's 'Betrayal of Trust: The Collapse of Global Public Health'
• Barry's NYT op-ed on transmission of swine flu
• Barry's 'The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History'
• Alcabes' 'Dread: How Fear and Fantasy Have Fueled Epidemics from the Black Death to Avian Flu'

Reporter's Notebook

Scientists Unveil Study of African Genes ()

Genetic study shows that the human species originated in Africa and spread to the rest of the world. Now a ten-year study of the genes of Africans and African Americans has revealed new insights about their ancestry and, possibly, their susceptibility to different diseases. What's described as the most comprehensive study ever made of African genes has been published in the US journal, Science. The team leader is Sarah Tishkoff, associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania.

Guests:

• Sarah Tishkoff: Associate Professor of Genetics and Biology, University of Pennsylvania